Handbag



April! 15, 1941., M. c. DEMERER HANDBAG Filed May 15, 1940 1 714 4 ,(Q INVENTOR.

BY h M MTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 15, 1941 UNITED FATE Robbins & Weitz, Inc., New York, N. Y., a, corporation of New York Application May 15, 1940, Serial No. 335,393

1 Claim.

This invention relates to ladies handbags.

One object of the invention is to provide a ladies handbag of the rugged framed type, having an external pocket which is readily accessible without opening the main compartment.

Handbags of the character referred to have heretofore been constructed with external pockets to meet the substantial need among women for a compartment which is directly and conveniently accessible without opening up the bag itself. Into such a pocket a woman would generally place her money or certain other articles which she desired to segregate from the miscellaneous contents of the bag. Thus when the bag is opened up, the danger of possible loss of money or other valuables would be greatly diminished. However, the structures heretofore known have always possessed various drawbacks and hence they have not been popular and have not been used in handbags of quality. The substantial degree of safety required in such a pocket was not obtainable in a simple manner. Furthermore, the outside pocket tended to detract from the appearance of the handbag, so that that was sufficient to outweigh any possible utility that such pocket might possess.

It is accordingly another object of the invention to provide a ladies handbag having im proved means providing an outside pocket which is readily opened and closed and which assures of a high degree of safety without requiring special closure devices.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ladies handbag having improved means affording an outside pocket which with its closure means is so arranged and constructed as to be highly inconspicuous and to blend into the design and contour of the bag itself.

Other objects and. advantages of the invention will become apparent as the specification proceeds.

With the aforesaid objects in view, the invention consists in the novel combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described in their preferred embodiments, pointed out in the subjoined claim, and illustrated in the annexed drawing, wherein like parts are designated by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective isometric view of a ladies handbag embodying the invention and showing the same in closed position.

Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the bag and outside pocket both in open position, with parts removed.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of Fig. 1 with parts removed.

The advantages of the invention as here outlined are best realized when all of its features and instrumentalities are combined in one and the same structure, but, useful devices may be produced embodying less than the whole.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, that the same may be incorporated in several different constructions. The accompanying drawing, therefore, is submitted merely as showing the preferred exemplification of the invention.

Referring in detail to the drawing, M] denotes a ladies handbag embodying the invention. The same may include a bag H having a top opening or mouth controlled by a frame comprising a pair of inverted generally U-shaped frame members I2 which are pivotally interconnected at their lower ends as at It for opening and closing the mouth of the bag l l. These frame members have at least their upper sections M of channel form so that the side walls of the bag ll may be clamped therein in the usual manner. For the reason hereinafter described, these top sections M are preferably formed with top flanges [5 which project laterally outwardly with their channels opening in corresponding directions. Any suitable locking device (not shown) may be provided for holding the bag l l in closed position.

Disposed outside of the bag it is a pocket US which desirably extends from the bottom of the bag H to the top thereof and which may be equal in length with. the frame members l2 in order to assure ample capacity. Preferably this pocket i6 is formed at one end with an upright inwardly folded gusset ll, and at its opposite end l8 and at its bottom [8a is directly secured to the bag H. Along the top of the pocket It is an opening or mouth I9 which extends along an outer side of a top section hi of an adjacent frame member. This mouth [9 is closable by a slide fastener 20 having complementary series of hooks 2! carried by stringers 22, 23. The stringer 22, being the one immediately adjacent to one of the top sections 14 is clamped into the channel thereof for continuous securement therealong. The stringer 23 is suitably secured to the outer wall 24 of the pocket l6. Preferably the arrangement is such that the slide fastener lies approximately in the plane of the flanges [5 or very close thereto and overlies the top edge of the gusset ll. Hence when the slide fastener is closed, the gusset H is contracted at the top thereof. Since this gusset is also contracted in a permanent manner at the bottom of the pocket at the interconnection lSa, it will be seen that this expansible end of the pocket 16 is held reliably collapsed in snug relationship alongside of the bag ll so that both ends of the pocket 16 appear to be alike and blend into the form and symmetry of the handbag as a whole as shown in Fig. 1. By utilizing a covered slide fastener, the same is wholly concealed. Such covering may consist in the provision of strips of fabric 25 extending longitudinally of the stringers and connected thereto as by lines of stitching 26, these strip elements 25 meeting along a center line and being flexible so as not to interfere with the movement of the slider 28a in opening and closing the pocket l6.

While my handbag I!) may be variously constructed, the preferred construction thereof is shown in detail in Fig. 3. Thus it will be noted that the bag II comprises a lining 21 and an outer wall 28, with the pocket l6 including a lining 29 and the outer wall 24. Between the lining 21 and the outer wall 28 is interposed a sheet of stiffening material 30. Similarly between the outer wall 24 of the pocket I6 and the adjacent section of the lining 29 is interposed a sheet of stiffening material 3|. If required,

similar stiffening material may also be placed between the adjoining sections of the linings 21 and 29. A bottom wall 32 may be connected in place as by a line of stitching 33 securing the same to the side wall 28, and by the line of stitching laa securing the side wall 24 to said bottom wall. The re-enforcement elements 38 and 3| may be pasted to their respective side walls or otherwise fixed thereto. For the present device it is significant that the re-enforcement member 3| may extend substantially up to the stringer 23 at the point where the latter is relatively stiffened by its interconnection with the side wall and lining as by the stitching 34. The stringer 22 may have been originally connected to the lining 29 as by a line of stitching 35. The side walls of the bag ll may comprise end extensions 36 which project beyond the frame members; at the pocket It these extensions may consist of sections of material which extend only up to the pocket 16 and which they may underlie as at the line of stitching 31. The bag and pocket structure when thus completed substantially as described, is secured to the frame members by stuffing into the channels thereof, the channels being then clamped for tight engagement with the fabric in the usual manner. Accordingly the stringer 22 is clamped in the adjacent channel and closely underlies the top flange l5 thereof with the slide fastener lying substantially in the plane of said flange.

It will now be seen that the re-enforcement 3| for the wall 24 serves to support the slide fastener so that it lies substantially in the plane of the flanges l5, this re-enforcement being in turn carried at the bottom connection l8a of the outside pocket with the bag I l. Hence the concealed slide fastener merges gradually into the frame structure and appears to form a component part of the top marginal portion of the handbag instead of lying along a side thereof and detracting from the style and appearance of the handbag.

It will also be perceived that since the slide fastener is located at the extreme top of the handbag, it can not be surreptitiously opened because When a woman carries a handbag in her hand, she grasps the top portion thereof.

Furthermore, easy opening and closing of the outside pocket i6 is permitted because the slide fastener is continuously re-enforced by the adjacent frame member.

Finally it will be noted that the outside pocket forms a neat and symmetrical structure which in this instance may be substantially enhanced by the provision of the extensions 36, with the ends of the outside pocket spaced from the ends of said extensions, and the outside pocket nevertheless affording substantially capacity when opened due to expansion of the gusset I1 and the gusset being held collapsed so that both ends of the outside pocket are thin and closely approach the plane of the adjacent side wall of the bag when the slide fastener is closed.

The invention thus fulfills all the objects stated and is inexpensive in manufacture and highly neat and eificient in use.

I claim:

A ladys handbag comprising a main compartment having a mouth at the top thereof and having a plurality of inverted, U-shaped, pivotally interconnected channel frame members for opening and closing said mouth, said frame members having upwardly opening channels for clamping engagement with walls of said main compartment and having laterally outwardly directed clamping flanges overlying the channels, an at least partially expansible pocket formed by inner and outer wall members lying externally of the said compartment, the outer member be ing of a finishing material complemental to the outside material of the bag, said pocket having a mouth extending closely along an outer side of a top section of an adjacent frame member substantially in the horizontal plane of the clamping flange thereof, said slide fastener comprising a stringer continuously secured in the channel of the adjacent frame member and directly underlying the said clamping flange, and the outer wall of the pocket having sufficient stiffness and being adapted to support the slide fastener to lie as a whole in the plane of said clamping flange.

MAX C. DEMER'ER. 

